as in cheeks
the part of the body upon which someone sits
I decided to get off my bum and get some exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in beggars
an idle worthless person
if you expect an allowance, you have to do some chores and stop being such a bum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hoboes
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
I feel sorry for bums and occasionally give them money
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in lounges
to spend time doing nothing
spent most of the summer just bumming around the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bums
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As older leaders retire, the days of bums on seats five days a week are likely to fade with them.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
In later years, the shearling coat in its more Western iteration became a fashion statement beloved by hippies and boho ski bums, and was notably worn with great aplomb by Robert Redford in the 1969 classic Downhill Racer.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Ndiaye aside, Everton have long lacked bums-off-seats kinds of players.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
The only thing that bums me and Michael out is all the stuff that got cut for time.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
History buffs, avid hikers, music lovers, wine aficionados, and beach bums will all find a town to love in the Old Dominion.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.
—Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As older leaders retire, the days of bums on seats five days a week are likely to fade with them.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
In later years, the shearling coat in its more Western iteration became a fashion statement beloved by hippies and boho ski bums, and was notably worn with great aplomb by Robert Redford in the 1969 classic Downhill Racer.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 12 Jan. 2026
With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Ndiaye aside, Everton have long lacked bums-off-seats kinds of players.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
Critical thinking really bums them out.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
The only thing that bums me and Michael out is all the stuff that got cut for time.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bums
Noun
-
Even with the windows open all the way, the heat is hugging us, kissing us, pinching our cheeks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Miffy has pointy ears, chubby cheeks and wears an orange dress.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In the old days beggars were drawn and quartered in that square.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.—
Lauren Alexis Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The seats being full for the national anthem at each of their home playoff games is a sight not often seen at Southern California sporting events.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
And the end came well before midnight, with goals by Mitch Marner and Brett Howden in the first 8½ minutes giving Vegas a commanding lead before many in the late-arriving weeknight crowd had made it to their seats at the Honda Center.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Rational fears or no, the fact remains that the 24 acres of Bayfront Park belong right now to a few misfits and derelicts.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The scene inspired future comedy gags showing drifters and tramps losing their pants to dogs chasing them.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Told in a lingua franca of philosophy and academic jargon, Lucky’s speech has something to do with the collapse of reason and logic, and the futility of human progress, which is ultimately what tramps Estragon (Reeves) and Vladimir (Winter) are up against, too.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
These gentle giants used the surface area of their long necks and tails to shed heat and regulate their body temperature.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
-
In honor of Blomstedt’s return to the podium, the orchestra will be outfitted in formal white tie and tails.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.—
Kirsten Grieshaber,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But my collection intentionally ignored the fraudulent exploits of billionaire heirs, tax dodgers and corporate magnates — defense contracts, government lobbying, bank accounts in Switzerland, shell companies in Panama, citizenship of Antigua and political asylum in London.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bums. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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